# What is the dope on the Farmer's Almanac? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 11, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531 "2008-10-11T23:43:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dripping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dripping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dripping)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2008, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/1 "2008-10-11T23:43:01Z")
Some folks swear by this thing. I see it all the time at my local grocery. My guess is that it’s just a booklet full of old folklore and hit-or-miss predictions, but folks sure seem almost in awe of it around here (rural Minnesota). What’s the deal with it? ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/2 "2008-10-12T03:29:30Z")
You got it right. ---
**Author:** ![solkoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@solkoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solkoe)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/3 "2008-10-12T03:45:24Z")
There are two ways to predict the weather. One is to look at long term trends over many, many years. For example, if July is hot, how often is December snowy. Of course, the other method is to use satellite and weather balloon data etc. The Farmers Almanac is going to have a good reputation because half the time they are right (not much different than the modern methods). ---
**Author:** ![MOIDALIZE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e274bd/32.png) [@MOIDALIZE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MOIDALIZE)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/4 "2008-10-12T03:55:44Z")
It’s my go-to source of funny new jokes to impress my blind date with. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/5 "2008-10-12T12:56:39Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > The Farmers Almanac is going to have a good reputation because half the time they are right (not much different than the modern methods). Cite? (I doubt they’re right that often, and I certainly doubt their accuracy is on par with modern methods.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/6 "2008-10-12T17:22:05Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > There are two ways to predict the weather. One is to look at long term trends over many, many years. For example, if July is hot, how often is December snowy. Of course, the other method is to use satellite and weather balloon data etc. The Farmers Almanac is going to have a good reputation because half the time they are right (not much different than the modern methods). Do you have a cite that their predictions are about as accurate as modern methods? I would definitely think modern methods are better by quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/7 "2008-10-12T17:23:00Z")
> [@Dripping](#): > > My guess is that it’s just a booklet full of old folklore and hit-or-miss predictions That stuff is fun to read whilst in the porcelain facility, but I used to buy it for the tables in it. Things like sunrise/sunset times, phases of the moon, etc. I look all that up on WeatherUnderground nowadays. Is the 2009 Farmer’s Almanac out now? I should get one, just for grins. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/8 "2008-10-12T18:00:40Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > Cite? (I doubt they’re right that often, and I certainly doubt their accuracy is on par with modern methods.) > [@Mahaloth](#): > > Do you have a cite that their predictions are about as accurate as modern methods? I would definitely think modern methods are better by quite a bit. I don’t have a cite for their accuracy, but would like to point out that FA is predicting the weather a year in advance. “Modern methods” are pretty accurate out to five days or so, but you can’t go much farther without falling back on the long-term statistics. (Multi-Quote is a way-cool feature! I’m glad I tried it.) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/9 "2025-11-07T04:11:11Z")
Sad news: > **[A Fond Farewell](https://www.farmersalmanac.com/fond-farewell-from-farmers-almanac)** > > After more than 200 years of sharing wit and wisdom, the 2026 Farmers' Almanac will be our last edition. But our story stays alive in you. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/10 "2025-11-07T14:12:13Z")
As I read somewhere else, there ate two books. The Farmer’s Almanac and The Old Farmer’s Almanac. The second one is the one that everyone knows, and hasn’t been cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/11 "2025-11-07T17:59:28Z")
I think it was Ben Franklin who said, “A man gains little knowledge by eating books.” ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/12 "2025-11-07T18:32:18Z")
Weirdly, the Old Farmer’s Almanac is older, having been started in 1792, while the other one dates from 1818. ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/13 "2025-11-07T18:38:02Z")
The almanac that Ben Franklin was involved in was Poor Richard’s Almanack, which appeared continually from 1732 to 1758. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2025, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-dope-on-the-farmers-almanac/467531/14 "2025-11-07T18:48:08Z")
Sad to see the Farmer’s Almanac go, mostly because it’s an American institution. As a predictor of weather, though, it mostly reminds me of one thing: “It’s going to be a very cold winter, because the Indians are collecting firewood like crazy!”